The Adriatic Sea Forecasting System (AFS) has been operational since April 2003. The system is based on three main components:

a. the Near Real-Time observing system

b. the hinfdcasting and forecasting numerical modelling system at regional scale

c. the dissemination system of the hindcast and forecast products to the end-users.

The system produces 9 days forecast on a daily basis and a hindcast (simulation) of the previous 7 days on a weekly basis for the Adriatic Sea at about 2.2 x 2.2 km of horizontal resolution, on 31 sigma layers. The domain of the model goes from 39°N to 45.82°N and from 12.20°E to 20.78°E. Yet no assimilation of oceanographic data is implemented, and the observational data are used for the delayed mode and near real time mode validation and quality control of the system. The sysem is nested into the Mediterranean Forecasting System (MFS). The picture below shows the model domain and its bathymetry.

The Official AFS webpage is http://www.bo.ingv.it/afs/

2-D FIELDS:

sea surface height, total heat flux, downward shortwave radiation flux, eastward component of wind stress, northward component of wind stress.

3-D FIELDS:

temperature, salinity, zonal current velocity, meridional current velocity.

The data are in NetCDF format following the C.F. 1.0.

For any information on the NetCDF format visit the UNIDATA web site:

http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/software/netcdf

Hindcast data are granted free of charge to all organizations that pursue research and educational purposes for their non-commercial activities. Private companies and any other users who wish to access the data for commercial purposes require a license. Data are distributed by ftp through a secure connection to a dedicated file server. Access is reserved to licensed users only, who will be provided with a personal login and password. The service is available on a 24/7 basis. Support for downloading and file-reading issues is provided during working days.

Detailed information about data access is available at http://gnoo.bo.ingv.it/afs/dataaccess/

The products released are for the use of both commercial companies and public-research institutions. All data provided are under non-transferrable license. Data access for private companies is subject to payment of a fee, which is calculated according to the type and volume of data requested and, if necessary, the data handling work.

Detailed information about data access conditions are available at http://gnoo.bo.ingv.it/afs/dataaccess/

As a general rule, data products are delivered in a non-modified format (direct model output). The raw data can easily be visualized with the main visualization packages (i.e. Grads, Ferret, etc..). Matlab and Fortran need specific NetCDF libraries to access the data. For Unix/Linux users data can also be accessed, read and modified through NCO and CDO free-share libraries.

Exceptions on the format of the data are applicable for any particular use in the commercial sector. Users can request a customized data handling, which consists of one or more of the following post-processing actions:

• Interpolation at fixed levels

• Unit conversion or data type transformation

• Reduction of domain

• File format conversion

The System has been validated in delayed mode on temperature (XBT and CTD data), salinity (CTD data), density and sea surface temperature (satellite data) for the period 2000-2007. In addition a product quality control is carried out operationally every week by comparing the hindcast with sea surface temperature from satellite on the whole basin, and with temperature, salinity and currents at a specific bouy (Buoy S1) situated a few miles offshore the Po river mouth. The near real time quality control is available at:

http://gnoo.bo.ingv.it/afs/buoy.htm

and

http://gnoo.bo.ingv.it/afs/sst.htm

The hindcast output of the system is available in graphic format at http://gnoo.bo.ingv.it/afs/

No Analysis is produced

2-D FIELDS:

sea surface height, total heat flux, downward shortwave radiation flux, eastward component of wind stress, northward component of wind stress.

3-D FIELDS:

temperature, salinity, zonal current velocity, meridional current velocity.

The data are in NetCDF format following the C.F. 1.0.

For any information on the NetCDF format visit the UNIDATA web site:

http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/software/netcdf

Forecast data are granted free of charge to all organizations that pursue research and educational purposes for their non-commercial activities, only under specific agreements. Private companies and any other users who wish to access the data for commercial purposes require a license. Data are distributed by ftp through a secure connection to a dedicated file server. Access is reserved to licensed users only, who will be provided with a personal login and password. The service is available on a 24/7 basis. Support for downloading and file-reading issues is provided during working days.

Detailed information about data access is available at http://gnoo.bo.ingv.it/afs/dataaccess/

The products released are for the use of both commercial companies and public-research institutions, under the above described conditions. All data provided are under non-transferrable license. Data access for private companies is subject to payment of a fee, which is calculated according to the type and volume of data requested and, if necessary, the data handling work.

Detailed information about data access conditions are available at http://gnoo.bo.ingv.it/afs/dataaccess/

As a general rule, data products are delivered in a non-modified format (direct model output). The raw data can easily be visualized with the main visualization packages (i.e. Grads, Ferret, etc..). Matlab and Fortran need specific NetCDF libraries to access the data. For Unix/Linux users data can also be accessed, read and modified through NCO and CDO free-share libraries.

Exceptions on the format of the data are applicable for any particular use in the commercial sector. Users can request a customized data handling, which consists of one or more of the following post-processing actions:

• Interpolation at fixed levels

• Unit conversion or data type transformation

• Reduction of domain

• File format conversion

No quality control procedures are implemented yet for the forecat data.

The hindcast output of the system is available in graphic format at http://gnoo.bo.ingv.it/afs/